PACF ECOWAS Report of Activities by O. A. Bamiro Interim Chairman

Range of Activities Meetings leading to the formation of the National Steering Committees in Ghana and Nigeria Meeting in Accra, Ghana September to deliberate on the formation of the PACF-ECOWAS

Formation of the NCCs in Ghana & Nigeria The African Ministers of Trade and Industry have adopted the cluster concept as a strategic tool to achieve development in the continent. Consequently, this ministry is spearheading the mainstreaming of the CI into government policies in the various countries with varying degree of success. The Triple Helix concept has driven the formation of the NCCs in the two countries NCCs have been formed in Nigeria and Ghana

The Formation of the PACF-ECOWAS  The inaugural meeting was held at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Accra Ghana.  Thanks to Dr George Essegbey, Director of STEPRI and the Ghana Rep in the PACF Council for hosting the successful meeting.

Attendance of the Meeting The meeting was held after the decision of members of PACF from Ghana and Nigeria to forge ahead in spite of non-availability of funding to support the meeting. The meeting attracted 25 participants from Ghana and 9 participants from Nigeria with the demography of participants reflecting the Triple Helix.

Participants at the PACF Meeting

Main Agenda/Deliverables Overview of the national activities Feedback from the PACF Continental meeting at Maputo Sharing of experiences Outline of a programme of Action. Deliverables Formally constituting the PACF –ECOWAS Preparations for possible hosting of the next PACF Continental Meeting in the ECOWAS Region Strategies for CI mainstreaming into national development programmes.

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS National Chapters and Steering Committees of PACF have been formed and inaugurated in Nigeria and Ghana. Efforts should be in top gear to promote the activities of PACF in other ECOWAS countries. There is need to formalize the structure of PACF ECOWAS in order to network initiatives through the established structures at the National level.

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS (Contd.) Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) play key roles in national economic transformation and are to constitute the major players in most clusters in Africa particularly the proposed cluster based competitiveness for economic development. That cluster initiative is a co-operative arrangement which provides an efficient mechanism to help MSMEs to overcome the technological bottlenecks and absence of linkages which collectively hinder competitiveness.

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS (Contd.) There is need for regional workshops and collaborations to share experiences on cluster initiatives as well as identify areas of comparative advantage for exchanges. There is need for clusters in ECOWAS region to develop competitiveness targeted at national and regional markets which are currently not sufficiently exploited.

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS (Contd.) There is need for the development of clusters in ECOWAS region to focus adequately on the entire value chain in product development as in the typical case of pineapple exportation in Ghana. There is need for sufficient political will by individual countries to mainstream cluster initiatives into national development strategies and to give sufficient funding support to cluster initiatives before looking to foreign donors

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS (Contd.) There is need to identify and enlist the participation of all stakeholders who have critical roles to play in cluster development initiatives

RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions The PACF-ECOWAS chapter is hereby formally established Prof. Femi Bamiro retains the position of the chapter chairman while the leaders and the structure of the national chapters in Ghana and Nigeria have been noted.

Resolutions (Contd.) The secretariat of PACF ECOWAS steering committee be located in the ECOWAS secretariat Chairmen of national steering committees should constitute the PACF ECOWAS secretariat ECOWAS should host the continental meeting of PACF in 2009 and the chairmen of National steering committees should work out the modalities for hosting, including choice of venue.

Resolutions (Contd.) Ghana and Nigeria should endeavor to showcase cluster initiatives in their countries through various paper presentations at the proposed continental level meeting proposed to be hosted at Cape Town South Africa in October There is need to host a regional workshop to share experiences preparatory to the Continental meeting of PACF proposed to be hosted in ECOWAS in 2009.

Resolutions (Contd.) That cluster competitiveness should also target national and regional markets and not foreign markets only.

CONCLUDING REMARKS Since the Accra meeting, efforts are in top gear to get the ECOWAS Secretariat at Abuja, Nigeria to set in motion the establishment of the Secretariat for the PACF-ECOWAS. This is expected to become a reality soonest with the other members of ECOWAS coming on board.

Thank You